It's not just what is happening, it's where it's happening, with pronounced concentrations of incidents off the east coast and in southern Arizona.

By Adam Kehoe and Marc Ceotti - June 4, 2021

The Federal Aviation Administration has seen a dramatic increase in drone-related incidents, recording approximately 10,000 reports in the last five years. The War Zone has identified a substantial number of military encounters with unidentified aircraft among those reports, often in sensitive airspace. While some of the incidents represent typical hazards associated with commercial drones, others are indicative of advanced capabilities, including the ability to fly at relatively high altitudes and to potentially operate in coordinated groups. More so, it's not just what’s happening, it is where it is happening that is so intriguing.

The incidents appear to have predominantly impacted the U.S. Navy and Air Force, with a pronounced geographic nexus off the coast of the southeastern United States, as well as another in the southwestern United States. Many of the incidents we identified occurred far out over the ocean in military training ranges that have become known for ongoing sightings of unusual aircraft. Notably, there were far fewer similar incidents reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in other areas that also host a great deal of military activity, such as off the West Coast or around Florida. It is unclear if this is because fewer incidents happen in those locations or if it is because reporting practices are inconsistent, or a mixture of both.

Among the reports, we found almost two dozen that involved troubling characteristics. For example, in 2018, an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter pilot reported a near mid-air collision with two small drones operating between 16,000 and 22,000 feet. The incident led to the cancellation of planned activities. Another report in 2017 cited as many as eight unidentified aircraft operating in sensitive airspace off the East Coast. In a 2020 incident, a quadcopter flew within 15 feet of an F-35 operating at 8,000 feet.

While the reports describe a pattern of incursions and hazards that have persisted over years, it appears that there is little official coordination between government stakeholders on the issue. Our many Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the FAA, Air Force, and Navy about the incidents surfaced little in terms of documentation beyond the minimal details available in the public reports. Asked for comment, spokespeople for the Navy's Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility, Virginia Capes (FACSFAC VACAPES) and the Department of Defense's Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force offered no clarification about the apparent lack of documentation or procedures surrounding incidents like these. Details regarding the Navy's claim that it has revamped the process for reporting incursions into military training areas and other potentially hazardous encounters with unidentified aircraft remain unclear . . .

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